Humidifiers



Jan. 15, 1963 w. w. MARTIN 3,073,297

HUMIDIFIERS Filed Aug. 31, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

WARNER W. MARTIN BY Jan. 15, 1963 w. w. MARTIN 3,073,297

HUMIDIF'IERS Filed Aug. 31, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7- INVENTOR.

WARNER W. MARTIN WMMw ATTORNEYS 3,073,297 Patented Jan. 15, 1963 has 3,ii73,297 HUMEDIFIERS Warner W. Martin, Olmstead Falls, Ohio, assignor to The Iau Blower Company, Dayton, ()hio, a corporation of Filed Aug. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 135,3(iil Ciaims. (Cl. 126-113) This invention relates to humidifiers and more particularly to humidifiers for use with air heating systems.

Generally speaking, the humidifiers utilized in domestic hot air furnaces include a reservoir mounted in the furnace or in an air duct leading therefrom, and a water level control system which maintains an operating water level in the reservoir. The heated or warmed air circulating over the surface of the water evaporates a portion thereof with a consequent increase in the moisture content of this air. As the water level in the reservoir falls below the preselected operating level, the water level control valve will open to allow water to flow into the reservoir untilthe aforesaid level is again attained and the valve closes. Many humidifiers, in order to increase the humidification characteristics thereof, increase the surface area over which the heated air will pass by adding a number of evaporator plates which are partially submerged so that water is conducted to every point therein. The heated air passing over the surface area of these plates will then evaporate the moisture on or near the surface with a corresponding increase in the moisture content of the air.

It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved humidifier for use in a domestic hot air furnace or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a humidifier having a mounting arrangement for the evaporator plates which is independent of the reservoir and which permits maximum circulation of air over and around the evaporator plates.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a humidifier device having one or more of above features which is constructed as a unit and readily installed in and removed from a hot air furnace or the like.

An additional object of this invention is to construct a humidifier in a simple but reliable and durable manner which is capable of interim disassembly for cleaning purposes by a relatively unskilled person.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

Inthe drawings- FIG. 1 is a perspective of one complete humidifier assembly;

FIG. 2 is a side view, partially in section, of the humidifier unit mounted in a vertical wall of a hot air furnace or the like;

FIG. 3 is a side view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the reservoir pan valve in an open position;

FIG. 4 is an end view taken in the direction of the arrows essentially on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section view taken in the direction of the arrows essentially on the line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the valve mechanism; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the valve mechanism taken in the direction of the arrows essentially on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the humidifier assembly 10 in FIG. 1 has a body member which may be mounted on a hot air furnace or any similar device. Genber 15 which supports the entire assembly 10, a cantilever pan support 16 which is rigidly secured to the body member 1'5, a reservoir pan 20 which is operably mounted on the pan support 16, and a plurality of T-shaped evaporator plates 22 mounted on a rack 23 which is supported by the body member 15 and reservoir pan 20.

In use, the lower portions of the evaporator plates 22 are partially submerged when a predetermined level of water is maintained in the reservoir pan 20. The plates 22 may be constructed of any satisfactorily absorbent material, a typical example being a composition of calcium silicate and asbestos, which conducts water from the pan 26 by a process of capillary action to substantially every point within the plates. Heated air passing around and over these plates 22 tends to absorb the moisture on or near the surfaces thereby increasing the humidity of the air.

A saddle valve 25 in the water line 26 controls the flow of water to the humidifier assembly 10 through the conduit 27. During periods when the operation of the humidifier assembly 10 is to be shut down, for example, during cleaning or the summer months when the furnace is not in use, the saddle valve 25 is used to shut off the water supply.

As shown in FIG. 2, the body member 15 is secured to a vertical wall 30 of an air heating furnace. Screws 31 project through the keyhole openings 32 in the body member 15 and into the wall 30 of the furnace thereby securely fastening the humidifier assembly 10 to the wall. On the other hand, the entire assembly can be readily removed from the furnace by merely loosening the screws 31 and moving the body member 15 slightly upward so that the larger portion of the keyhole openings 32 will clear the heads of the screws 31 and then pulling the entire assembly horizontally from the furnace.

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the water level control system, as well as the specific construction and configuration of the assembly It). The cantilever pan support 16 is rigidly fastened to the body member 15 and has an upwardly extending rim 33 around its entire periphery which prevents any water which might collect therein from spilling into the furnace. The port 34 drains any such water to a point exterior of the furnace thereby obviating the possibility that such water might damage or interfere with the normal operation of the furnace. A pivot connection 40 between the support 16 and pan 20 is formed by the transverse ridge or projection 41 on the bottom of the reservoir pan 2% which mates with the groove 42 formed in the support 16 and permits the pan 20 to rock or pivot with respect to the support 16 without relative longitudinal or transverse movement.

A spring 45 is secured to the body member 15 by forcing its looped end portion 46 through an undersized hole 47 in the support member 15. The other end of the spring'45 contacts the bottom of the reservoir pan 20 and normally urges the same toward the tilted position,

shown in FIG. 3. The bias of spring 45 can be varied by turning the adjustment screw 48, thereby increasing or decreasing the force exerted by the screw 48 on the spring 45. Access to the adjustment screw 48 is obtained by rotating the cover 49 from the body member 15 in the manner shown in FIG. 3. Such adjustment is utilized during installation to adjust the water level in the pan 20 in accordance with the water line pressure.

The water control system includes the valve body 50 which is secured by nut 51 to the body member 15. The stepped passageway 52 in the valve body 50 is in com munication with the water line 26 through the conduit 27 and leads to an outlet orifice 55. The valve shroud 56 is also threadedly secured to the valve body 50 and has a valve arm 5'7 pivotally mounted thereon. More particularly, the pins 58 on each side of the valve arm 57 project into the side walls 59 of the valve shroud 56 so that the arm 57 will pivot about the axis of the pins 58. Centrally mounted on the valve arm is a valve disk or button 69 made of a resilient material, such as rubber or neoprene, which engages the orifice 55 and prevents fluid flow therefrom when the arm is rotated clockwise to the closed position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7.

An extension 61 of the valve arm 57 loosely engages the actuator arm 65, which is a part of a spring clip '66 snapped on the rim of the pan 29 and including a tongue 67 which engages under the rim flange on the pan 20 to secure the clip 66 against accidental removal. The arrangement is such that when the reservoir pan 20 rotates about the pivot connection 40-41 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3, to the tilted position, the valve arm 57 rotates in a counterclockwise direction to separate the valve disk 60 from the orifice 55. Conversely, rotation of the pan 20 in a counterclockwise direction to the horizontal position, as shown in FIG. 2. effects movement of the valve disk 60 to the closed position wherein it blocks the water [low from the orifice 55.

The rack 23 on which the T-shaped evaporator plates 22 are supported above the reservoir 20 is in turn supported at one end by engagement of the hook member 70 on body with the slot 72 in the rack 23. A wire support 73 between the reservoir pan and the rack 23 supports the other end of rack. Grooves 74 insure that the wire support 73 will remain seated on the rim of the pan 20. It is important to note that the pivot connection 40, the groove 74, and the point of connection between the wire support 73 and the rack 23 are in substantial vertical alignment. Consequently, the weight of the rack 23 and evaporator plates 22 does not materially affect the rotation of the pan since this weight is effectively transferred to the pan support 16 through the pivot connection 40.

Each of the evaporator plates has a rectangular aperture 75 in the central portion thereof, as best shown in FIG. 5, through which the rack 23 is inserted. A downwardly extending projection 76 on each plate engages the spaced rectangular shaped slots 77 in the rack 23 thereby insuring that each plate 22 will be spaced from the adjacent plates. These plates can therefore be readily removed from the humidifier assembly 10 by merely raising the rack 23 to disengage the slot 72 from hook 70. The old evaporator plates 22 are then removed by raising them slightly with respect to the rack 23 thereby disengaging the projection 76 from the slots 77 and then sliding them from the rack, and new plates are installed by reversing this procedure. Once the evaporator plates 22 and the rack 23 are removed, the reservoir pan 29 can be removed from the support 16 by lifting the rear end of the pan 20 to disengage the connection between the actuator arm 65 and the valve arm 57.

It will be appreciated that the entire assembly can be easily removed from the furnace and disassembled for cleaning by a relatively unskilled person. Moreover, the body member 15 with the attached rack 23, evaporator plates 22, and reservoir pan 20, can be removed from the furnace and the unit disassembled and reassembled in the manner described above without the use of special tools or equipment.

In operation, assuming the saddle valve 25 to be open and water in line 26 to be connected with the passageway 52 of valve body 50, the water level control system will maintain a predetermined level of water in the reservoir pan 20. When the water level falls below this level the spring 45 will rotate the pan about the pivot connection to the tilted position, as shown in FIG. 3, wherein the actuator arm 65 has effected the movement of the valve disk 60 to the open position. In this open position, water flows from the orifice 55, onto the shroud 56, and then into the reservoir pan 20. When the predetermined level is reached, the weight of the water in the pan 20 overcomes the urging of spring and rotates the pan in a counterclockwise direction to the horizontal position, as shown in FIG. 2. In this position, the actuator arm 65 has rotated the valve arm 57 to a closed position wherein the valve disk 60 contacts the orifice and blocks the flow of fluid therefrom.

The lower portions of the evaporator plates 22 are submerged when the water is at or near the predetermined level and water is absorbed thereby through a process of capillary action until the entire plate is saturated with water. Heated air from the furnace passes around and over the plates causing evaporation of the moisture on or near the surface thereby effecting an increase in the moisture content of the air. As moisture is evaporated from the plates 22, more water is absorbed thereby so that the plates 22 remain saturated at all times. As the water in the pan is absorbed by the plates 22 and the water level in the pan 20 falls below the preselected level, the spring 4-5 again rotates the pan 20 in a clockwise direction with consequent separation of the valve disk from the orifice 5:3 and flow of water into the pan 20. This operation will continue indefinitely provided that the humidifier assembly 10 is cleaned and the evaporator plates 22 replaced at appropriate intervals.

The degree to which the present invention adds moisture to the air can of course be varied by changing the number of evaporator plates 22 on the rack 23 thereby changing the surface area over which the heated air will pass. While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

Cross reference is made to my application S. N. 135,301., filed August 31, 1961, and assigned to the same assignee as this application.

What is claimed is:

l. A humidifier assembly comprising a body member adapted to be secured to a vertical wall of a hot air furnace or the like, a cantilever support rigidly secured to said member, a reservoir pan operably mounted on said support, means forming a pivot connection between said pan and said support providing for pivotal movement of said pan between first and second positions, a horizontally extending passageway in said body member having an orifice disposed above said pan at one end thereof, means for connecting the other end of said passageway to a source of water, extension means projecting horizontally on said body member on each side of said orifice, a valve member Pivotally connected to said extension means, said valve member being pivotal about a horizontal axis above said orifice and between a closed position wherein flow is u prevented through said orifice and an open position wherein flow is permitted through said orifice, means including said extension means for guiding flow of water from said orifice to said pan, spring means interposed between said pan and said body member and having a bias which urges said pan toward said second position and which is overcome when a predetermined volume of water is in said pan thereby permitting said pan to be moved to said first position, and means forming a connection between said pan and said valve member effective to move said valve member between said open and closed positions thereof in response to the movement of said pan between said first and second positions thereof respectively.

2. A humidifier assembly comprising a body member adapted to be secured to a vertical wall of a hot air furnace or the like, a cantilever support rigidly secured to said body member, a reservoir pan pivotally mounted on said support, means forming a pivot connection between said pan and said support operable to permit said pan to pivot between a first and a second position, a horizontally disposed valve body secured to said body member and having a passageway therethrough with a restricted orifice at one end thereof, means for connecting the other end of said passageway to a source of water, a valve shroud mounted on said valve body in surrounding relation with said orifice to guide the flow of fluid from said orifice into said pan, a valve arm pivotally mounted on said shroud, a valve disk mounted on said arm for movement between a closed position wherein it engages said orifice and prohibits flow of fluid therefrom and an open position wherein it is spaced from said orifice and permits fluid flow therefrom, spring means interposed between said pan and said body member and having a bias which urges said pan toward said second position and which is overcome when a predetermined volume of water is in said pan thereby permitting said pan to be moved to said first position, means forming a connection between said pan and said valve arm eflective to move said valve disk between said open and closed positions thereof in response to the movement of said pan between said first and second positions thereof respectively, and a rack horizontally disposed above said pan and having a plurality of evaporator plates suspended therefrom in spaced relation to each other and to said pan in position to be partially submerged when said pan contains said predetermined volume of water.

3. A humidifier assembly comprising a body member adapted to be secured to a vertical wall of a hot air furnace or the like, a cantilever support rigidly secured to said body member, a reservoir pan pivotally mounted on said support, means forming a pivot connection between said pan and said support operable to permit said pan to pivot between a first and a second position including a transverse ridge on the bottom of said pan and a transverse groove in said support receiving said ridge, a horizontally disposed valve body secured to said member and having a passageway therethrough withan orifice at one end thereof, means for connecting the other end of said passageway to a source of water, a valve shroud mounted on said valve body in surrounding relation with said orifice to guide the flow of fluid from said orifice into said pan, a valve arm pivotally mounted on said shroud, a valve disk mounted on said arm for movement between a closed position wherein it engages said orifice and prohibits flow of fluid therefrom and an open position wherein it is spaced from said orifice and permits fluid flow therefrom, spring means interposed between said pan and said body member and having a bias which urges said pan toward said second position and which is overcome when a predetermined volume of water is in said pan thereby permitting said pan to be moved to said first position, means forming a connection between said pan and said valve arm effective to move said valve disk between said open and closed positions thereof in response to the movement of said pan between said first and second positions thereof respectively, and a rack horizontally disposed above said pan and having a plurality of evaporator plates suspended therefrom in spaced relation to each other and to said pan in position to be partially submerged when said pan contains said predetermined volume of water.

4. A humidifier assembly comprising a body member adapted to be secured to a vertical wall of an air conditioning device, a cantilever support rigidly secured to said body member, a reservoir pan mounted on said support, means forming a pivot connection between .said

' end thereof, means for connecting the other endof said passageway to a source of water, a valve shroud mounted on said valve body in at least partially surrounding relation with said orifice to guide the flow of fluid from said orifice into said pan, a. valve arm pivotally mounted on said shroud, a valve member mounted on said arm for movement between a closed position wherein it engages said orifice and prohibits flow of fluid therefrom and an open position wherein it is spaced from said orifice and permits fluid flow therefrom, biasing means interposed between said pan and said body member and having an adjustable bias which urges said pan toward said second position and which is overcome when a predetermined volume of water is in said pan thereby permitting said pan to be moved to said first position, and means forming a connectionbetween said pan and said valve arm effective to move said valve member between said open and closed positions thereof in response to the movement of said pan between said second and first positions thereof respectively.

5. A humidifier assembly comprising a body member adapted to be secured to a vertical wall of a hot air furnace or the like, a cantilever support rigidly secured to said body member, a reservoir pan pivotally mounted on said support, means forming a pivot connected between said pan and said support operableto permit said pan to pivot between a first and a second position including a transverse ridge on the bottom of said pan and a transverse groove in said support receiving said ridge, a horizontally disposed valve body secured to said member and having a passageway therethrough and having an orifice at one end thereof, means for connecting the other end of said passageway to a source of water, a valve shroud mounted on said valve body in surrounding re lation with said orifice to guide the flow of fluid from said orifice into said pan, a valve arm pivotally mounted on said shroud, a valve disk mounted on said arm for movement between a closed position wherein it engages said orifice and prohibits flow of fluid therefrom and an open position wherein it is spaced from said orifice and permits fluid flow therefrom, spring means interposed between said pan and said body member'and having a bias which urges said pan toward said second position and which is overcome when a predetermined volume of water is in said pan thereby permitting said pan to be moved to said first position, and means forming a connection between said pan and said valve arm effective to move said valve disk between said open and closed positions thereof in response to the movement of said pan between said first and second positions thereof respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS r 1,706,903 Smith et al Mar. 26, 1929 2,839,279 Harris et al. June 17, 1958 2,934,058 Redner Apr. 26, 1960 

1. A HUMIDIFIER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A VERTICAL WALL OF A HOT AIR FURNACE OR THE LIKE, A CANTILEVER SUPPORT RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID MEMBER, A RESERVOIR PAN OPERABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT, MEANS FORMING A PIVOT CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID PAN AND SAID SUPPORT PROVIDING FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID PAN BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS, A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING PASSAGEWAY IN SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING AN ORIFICE DISPOSED ABOVE SAID PAN AT ONE END THEREOF, MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE OTHER END OF SAID PASSAGEWAY TO A SOURCE OF WATER, EXTENSION MEANS PROJECTING HORIZONTALLY ON SAID BODY MEMBER ON EACH SIDE OF SAID ORIFICE, A VALVE MEMBER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID EXTENSION MEANS, SAID VALVE MEMBER BEING PIVOTAL ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS ABOVE SAID ORIFICE AND BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION WHEREIN FLOW IS PREVENTED THROUGH SAID ORIFICE AND AN OPEN POSITION WHEREIN FLOW IS PERMITTED THROUGH SAID ORIFICE, MEANS INCLUDING SAID EXTENSION MEANS FOR GUIDING FLOW OF WATER FROM SAID ORIFICE TO SAID PAN, SPRING MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID PAN AND SAID BODY MEMBER AND HAVING A BIAS WHICH URGES 